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Harbour Master will step up to Group race level for the first time in the HKG3 January Cup at Happy Valley on Wednesday night.
His jockey Joao Moreira is expecting a bold show from the five-year-old, who is hunting a hat-trick of wins.
The John Moore trainee heads into the 1800m contest off the back of a pair of Class 2 successes at the city track, the latter being a course and distance triumph under 131lb on 10 December. This time, the Mizzen Mast gelding will shoulder only 115lb as he takes on nine classy rivals.
“Based on his last two wins, I think he’s definitely going to be competitive,” said Moreira. “He’s a versatile horse, if the pace is not that fast he will be a little bit closer and have the same finish. If they go a genuine pace he will be a little bit farther back and chasing home very strongly.”
The Brazilian, who on Sunday returned from suspension to bag three wins and extend his lead at the top of the Hong Kong Premiership to 10, partnered Harbour Master in his work this morning (6 January).
“He’s been doing very well, I’ve been on him in his track work most of the time and he gave me such a good feel this morning,” he said.
Harbour Master has won four of 11 starts since arriving from Britain and, after starting this campaign on a rating of 88, has climbed to a mark of 103. Moreira believes there is more still to come.
“I have a very high opinion of him,” he said. “Every time I’ve ridden him I’ve felt that he’s improving and I don’t think he’s even close to the peak of his ability yet. He’s a very nice horse and a very nice ride.”
Moreira took the January Cup 12 months ago on Same World (119lb) and that Moore-trained runner will attempt to retain the prize under Umberto Rispoli. The seven-year-old ran with merit when ninth in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Cup (2000m) last month. Moore, whose third candidate is Sunny Ying (113lb), is seeking his own hat-trick in the January Cup, having also landed the race in 2013 with subsequent Horse of the Year Military Attack.
The John Size-trained Endowing, 11th in the Longines Hong Kong Cup last time, heads the weights on 133lb, while stable mate Khaya, a fine third in December’s G1 Longines Hong Kong Vase (2400m), gets in on 120lb.
Caspar Fownes last won the race with Noble Conqueror, whom he saddled to success in 2010 and 2011. This time the trainer relies on Rainbow Chic (124lb), a two-time course and distance winner, and the seven-year-old Packing Whiz (125lb) who is now down to a mark of 113, his lowest rating since October, 2012 and 12 points lower than his peak.
Pleasure Gains (122lb) landed a Class 2 over the course and distance for trainer Manfred Man back in October, while the Tony Cruz-trained Helene Super Star was a fine fifth in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Cup. The Richard Gibson-trained Wayfoong Express (113lb) secured a 2000m Class 3 at Sha Tin when last seen in October.
